Headstrong
by animefreakshow
Summary: After a few short years of peace, the Zodiac curse is inevitably back. Tohru's memories are erased, not remembering anything of the Sohmas or her love for Kyo. Kyo is left with only one thing: They're only daughter. Plot is better than the summary.
1. Happiness

**Author's Note: **Hello, readers. Here is my first attempt at a Fruits Basket fanfiction. I am really excited with the plot that I have in my head, I just hope it comes out well in my reading. Reviews and Critiques are always welcome. In advance, thanks for reading! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Fruits Basket.

**Summary:** After a few short years of peace, the Zodiac curse is inevitably back. With the new Zodiac curse, brings on a new generation. Tohru's memories are erased, not remembering anything of the Sohmas or her love for Kyo. Kyo now only has one thing that Tohru regretably left behind: They're only daughter.

Chapter 1: Happiness

"Talking"

"_Thoughts"_

Tohru Honda was cleaning. Well. . When was she not cleaning? She continued to mop the floor of the kitchen in Shigure's home. She had been so happy lately. She started humming to a random tune she did not have a name for. She sighed contently to herself, and stopped mopping for a moment. A knock to the entrance of the kitchen caused her to turn fully around from her work. There, at the doorway, was one of Tohru's closest friends. Yuki Sohma was standing at the door with a hint of a smile on his face. Tohru smiled brightly.

"Oh, hello, Yuki!" Tohru said. She set the mop against the wall so it would not fall, and walked up to Yuki. He nodded to her.

"And good afternoon to you, Ms…" He started, but stopped himself. Yuki calling Tohru "Ms. Honda" was a habit he was having trouble breaking. She was no longer Ms. Honda, but Mrs. Sohma. Yuki smiled at the thought. She was not his wife, but she was officially a part of the Sohma family. His smile started to widen. He was extremely happy with the way life was playing out for him. With Machi as his wife and a child due in four short months, he couldn't be happier.

"Yuki?" Tohru snapped Yuki out of his thoughts. He looked straight at her. His eyes widened in acknowledgement.

"Are you all right?" Tohru asked, concerned. Yuki just nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm just fine." He found a seat at the table and sighed deeply as he sat down. Tohru took this opportunity to take a well-needed break from cleaning and sat down across from Yuki. Tohru smiled.

"Let me guess…you would like a home cooked meal for Machi, right?" Tohru teased, knowing all too well. Yuki came over a lot, hoping Tohru would send a meal home with him for Machi. Since she was pregnant, it was easier to give Machi something she would thoroughly enjoy, instead of making her eat his horrible excuse of cooking.

Yuki couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, Tohru, you will always be a better cook then me. I believe Machi is… happier when she eats one of your meals. I'd rather not upset her by having her eat mine." He chuckled. Tohru laughed at his response.

With a reassuring smile, she answered, "I'm sure Machi would be happy with anything you prepared for her." Tohru said, trying to encourage Yuki. He just smirked.

"Don't be so sure. She is pregnant with cravings after all, as you are, Tohru." He said.

Tohru blushed with the realization. Her hand hesitantly brushed her swelling stomach. "Not as bad as before. He doesn't make me as hungry." She whispered, with a giggle. Yuki's eye rose in question.

"You're still so sure that it's a boy?" He asked, curiously. Tohru only smiled.

"It's just that I can imagine a little boy looking a lot like Kyo." Tohru said with a dream-like smile. Yuki only nodded.

"I suppose we'll find out soon, in about two months, right?" He said. Tohru only nodded with the hugest of smiles on her face.

Unlike Tohru, Yuki was having trouble picturing another Kyo in the family. If this child ends up as Tohru wishes, a little Kyo, this family will just get a lot… noisier. He shook his head at the thought. He also had issues imagining Kyo as a father.

"_Stupid cat."_ Yuki thought to himself. "_You were barely married for a year, and you're still living here at Shigure's house, and you had to go and…"_

"Can't wait." Tohru whispered. Her eyes were closed. Yuki put his harsh thoughts aside. Tohru was happy. And, if she was happy, then he could be too. The silence continued on until a deep loud voice broke it.

"I thought I smelled something funny." A tad older Kyo said at the entrance of the kitchen. He stepped forward towards Tohru.

"What are you doing here, rat?" His eyes narrowed. Yuki just rolled his eyes. "That is none of your business." He said, coolly. Kyo's eyes widened. "You were in here alone with Tohru. It is my business!" Kyo said. Yuki just sighed. "Whatever, Kyo. I've got my own wife, thank you."

"Then why the hell are you over here?" Kyo asked.

Tohru finally stood up to intervene. "Kyo, it's all right. Yuki just came by to visit. I enjoyed the company." She smiled, as she walked closer to Kyo. His angry looking expression immediately disappeared. Tohru always knew how to do that.

"You're back so soon." Tohru said, surprised. Kyo had a smirk on his face, but then it faltered. "Why are you standing up? Sit down." He said in an almost commanding voice. Yuki nearly burst out laughing. He was witnessing Kyo as an over protective husband. Tohru took the seat closest to Kyo and sat down anyway. "I'm sorry." She apologized. Kyo covered his eyes. "No, don't apologize." He removed his hand from his face. "Just, be careful." He said, sincerely. Tohru nodded, then spoke. "I thought you were going to be training with Kazuma all day." Kyo's smirk returned.

"Well, I was. I have two surprises for you though." He said. Yuki, who was still sitting nearby, became intrigued. Tohru smiled. She always loved surprises. "What is it?" She asked. She was nearly fidgeting in her seat. She wanted to stand up. She was excited, but she remained seated. Kyo's smile remained, and he put his hand in his pocket. He pulled his hand out and revealed two shiny, silver keys.

Tohru gasped. She stood up from her seat and grabbed onto Kyo's hand that held the keys. "You're kidding! Really?" She questioned. Kyo nodded. "Yes, really. While I was with my master, I finally sealed the deal. We can move in whenever you're ready. The house is ours now. Finally, we can get out of here!" He said, excited.

Even though they were married, they thought it would be financially wiser to stay at Shigure's home until they had enough money to move into a nice place. Moving into this new home was all in good timing too, with the baby coming, and all.

Tohru's smile was so huge, so excited. "Let's do it today!" She exclaimed. Kyo slightly chuckled. He shook his head. "I don't think we can get all of our stuff in that house in one day." He said. Tohru giggled. "Yeah. I suppose you're right." She started laughing, when unexpectedly, Tohru exhaled deeply and her hand fluttered to her stomach.

Kyo's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?" He asked and grabbed a hold of her arm. Yuki suddenly stood up out of his chair and grabbed Tohru's other arm.

"Tohru? Sit down, please." Yuki insisted. Tohru looked at both of them, and she just smiled.

"Don't be so worried about me." She said, almost laughing. "It's just the little guy moving." She said, looking down at her stomach. Yuki let go of her, but Kyo did not. His eyes widened a bit and before he knew it, his hand was resting over her abdomen. Yuki took that moment to leave the room. It was too personal and intimate for him to remain there.

Kyo's hand didn't stray. This whole pregnancy thing had amazed him. He smiled. Tohru whispered, "He's so strong, like his father." She said in awe.

"_No."_ Kyo disagreed to himself. _"Strong like his mother."_ He thought. Tohru was not physically strong like Kyo. But, she was strong nonetheless. When Tohru first told him about the child they had conceived, the image of the future child crossed his bran a lot. While Tohru dreamed of a son that would look and be just like Kyo, Kyo, who didn't necessarily care about the gender, dreamed of this child looking and acting like Tohru.

Kyo smiled with that thought. Tohru sighed and removed her hand once the child settled down. "Why don't you sit down now?" Kyo suggested gently. He was already leading her to a chair, when Yuki reappeared at the doorway.

"Kyo, I believe you forgot about something… More like someone." Tohru looked at Kyo then at Yuki. "What?" She questioned. Yuki smirked. He stepped forward into the kitchen and right behind him, stood one of Tohru's best friends, Saki, otherwise known as Hana.

"Hana!" Tohru exclaimed. She let go of Kyo's hand and walked straight up to Saki, who was holding her sleeping two year old, Keiko.

"Hello, Tohru. It's very nice to see you again." Saki said in her typical soft, mysterious voice. Tohru awkwardly embraced her. "I'm so glad you came today." She said.

Kyo whispered close by, "This was your second surprise. I figured you would like some company while I was training today." Tohru nodded. "Thank you, Kyo. And thanks for coming by, Hana. I understand you must've been so busy lately." Tohru said, while she hesitantly touched the sleeping Keiko's hand.

Saki gently shook her daughter. "Keiko, someone would like to say hello to you, my dear." Saki said in a gentle voice. Keiko's eyes cringed. "Come on now." Saki encouraged. Keiko's eyes finally fluttered, and she started to rub them. Keiko's hair was a dark black like her mothers. When she pulled her hands away, her eyes fully opened, revealing Kazuma Sohma's light gray eyes.

Keiko surveyed her surroundings. "Good afternoon, Keiko." Tohru said. Keiko looked at her mother, then at Tohru. In a soft, sleepy voice, she answered, "Hello." Tohru smiled brightly. "You look just like your mom, you know that?" Tohru asked. Keiko just nodded. "Everyone tells me that." She said, almost like it was obvious.

"Hmm… she speaks well for a two year old." Kyo said randomly. Keiko looked at Kyo and pointed right at him. "Orange." She said.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted. It was always his hair that caught attention. Saki and Tohru burst out laughing. Just because they were laughing, Keiko laughed a little too. It was more of a giggle than an outburst though. When Saki briefly stopped laughing, she said, "I'm sorry. Keiko here is beginning to learn her colors. She is succeeding very well." Saki said, proudly. That piece of information started to intrigue the very quiet Yuki. He got closer to Keiko. "But, she's only two." He said, very impressed. Saki nodded. "Yes, and she's learning her numbers as well. Kazuma thought it would be a good idea to teach her these things now."

Tohru gasped. "Wow! Really?" She got a little closer to Keiko's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Tohru asked, holding up six fingers. When Keiko didn't immediately respond, Tohru quickly glanced at Saki." Can she count that high?" She asked. Saki only smirked, slightly. "Just watch." She said.

Tohru nodded and kept her six fingers up in front of Keiko. "How many?" Tohru asked again. Keiko held up one hand and pointed at Tohru's fingers. Six times her finger pointed at Tohru's. "Six?" Keiko asked. She turned her head and looked at Saki for confirmation. Saki nodded. "That is correct, Keiko. Good girl." Saki kissed Keiko's cheek softly. Keiko smiled brightly, proud that she was right. Tohru laughed again. "Aw, you're so smart, Keiko!" Tohru said. Keiko only smiled at her.

Saki whispered in Keiko's ear. "Do you want to stand?" She asked. Keiko nodded.

"Yes, Mama." Saki put Keiko down gently. Keiko immediately ran for the couch in the living room.

"Well?" Tohru said. "Why don't I get some tea made, and we can all sit together in there. I'm sorry, just the chairs in the kitchen make my back hurt." Tohru said, while rubbing her back. Kyo was more than one step ahead of her, and grabbed her elbow. "I'll make the tea. You sit in there."

"But…" Tohru started, but Kyo silenced her. "No discussion. You just sit here, and stop doing everything for everyone… for once." He sat her down on the couch, and held onto her in case she decided to stand up anyway. Kyo let go of her. "Stay." He said, then he let go of her and walked back into the kitchen.

Tohru just sighed, when Keiko walked up to her. Tohru's slim smile brightened when she saw Keiko. "Wanna sit with me?" Tohru asked her. Keiko nodded and lifted her arms up. Tohru carefully bent down and gently picked Keiko up. "There." Tohru said. Keiko stayed there on her lap and just stared at Tohru. Keiko was a quiet one; she seemed to get that trait from both of her parents.

"Did you bring any toys with you?" Tohru asked. Keiko nodded and hopped off of Tohru's lap. By the door, Keiko found a bag that her mother brought. She picked up two baby dolls and brought them to the couch. When she got to Tohru, Saki had joined them as well. "One more for Mama." Keiko said, and she went back to the bag and got another baby doll. She came back to the couch, and stayed there. She handed Tohru and Saki their own doll. "We can all play." Keiko said. Tohru and Saki both giggled.

While the men fixed the tea in the kitchen, Tohru, Saki, and Keiko continued to play with the dolls. Kyo and Yuki finally had the tea finished, and they brought in the living room. Kyo sat by Tohru on the couch, and Yuki sat on the floor.

"Keiko?" Saki asked. "How many fingers does my doll have?" Keiko took Saki's doll and examined it. She looked at one hand. "Five." Keiko said. Saki laughed understandingly. "Keiko, look at it again. Both hands, how many fingers?" Saki got closer to Keiko. She held the doll and held the doll's two hands. "This doll has two hands. So, how many fingers does she have?" Saki asked her again. Keiko took the doll back and looked. After about five seconds. "Ten?" Keiko said. Before Saki could say anything, Tohru burst out, "Good job, Keiko!" Everyone in the living room laughed in his or her own way. Keiko gave the doll back to Saki.

Tohru held onto Kyo's hand. "Kyo. We have to teach him this when he turns two, okay?" Tohru said, with a gleam in her eye. Kyo sighed. He knew "him" meant their child. She was still so positively sure that they were having a son. "Tohru, what if he's a she? Hatori has told us many times that we won't know until after." Kyo said. Kyo did not want to rain down on Tohru's parade, but he didn't want her hopes crushed either. Tohru's smile remained. "Yes, I know. But, I can just feel it, Kyo. I really think it's a little Kyo that we have." Tohru said, then she whispered. "I wonder if this is what Mom felt like before I was born." She said. Kyo's arm wrapped around Tohru's shoulders and pulled her closer. "I don't see how she couldn't. She's a woman too, you know." Kyo said, uneasily. Tohru only giggled. "True." She said.

Saki suddenly looked away from Keiko and looked at Tohru and Kyo. "I can probably tell you two what you carry." Saki said. Tohru and Kyo's eyes widened. "What?" Tohru asked. Saki smiled. "No, I'm sure of it. I know the gender." Saki said. She got closer to Tohru. "Do you wish to know, Tohru?" Saki asked.

Tohru looked at Kyo. "I guess it's up to you." Kyo said to her. Tohru looked back at Saki. "Um… Now that I think about it, I don't think I want to know. It's like spoiling the surprise. Thank you so much, Hana, but I'll just have to wait a few more months and see." Tohru said with a smile. Saki nodded. "Very well then." She said, and reverted her attention back to her daughter. Then, something dawned on Saki. "Oh, Kyo. Weren't you going to go back and see Kazuma again today?" She asked.

"That's right! I almost forgot about him." He started to stand up, but he stopped to look at Tohru. "Will you be okay here?" He asked her. Tohru smiled. "Of course! Me, Hana, and Keiko can play together." She said.

Tohru looked over at the quite silent Yuki. "Yuki, are you going to stay much longer?" She asked. Yuki looked at Tohru. "I will have to be going soon. Machi is probably wanting me home about now." He said, in a laughing tone.

Kyo stood up and turned to look at Tohru. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here?" He asked. Tohru carefully stood up. She started lightly shoving him towards the door. "Yes, Kyo. Just go, have fun with Kazuma. Me and Hana will be fine here. Please, go enjoy yourself." She said, almost desperately. Kyo and Tohru were at the door to the house. Kyo was hesitating. "Kyo, what's wrong? " Tohru asked. Kyo just stared at her.

Kyo couldn't put his finger on it, but he just didn't like the feeling of leaving Tohru alone today. It was almost a gut feeling. He felt like if he left her, something would go wrong. "_No."_ Kyo said to himself. Nothing would go wrong. He sighed. He touched Tohru's cheek with his bare hand, caressed it He couldn't help it. He pulled her to his chest. Tohru immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"Kyo. Please don't worry about me." She said. There was silence. Then…

"You know I can't stand being away from you anyway." Kyo said, quietly. Tohru giggled. "I know. I feel the same way, but…" She pushed against Kyo's chest, so she could see his face. "I want you to go out and enjoy yourself today." Tohru said. She smiled. "Before you know it, we will be too busy to leave the house." She giggled.

Kyo's smile warmed up. "True. But, how is this fair to you? I can leave now, but you can't?" He asked.

"I will have just as much fun here with Hana and Keiko, as you will training with Kazuma. I promise, I will be fine." She said.

Kyo sighed defeated. "One condition. No cleaning, no cooking, understand?" He said. This time, Tohru smirked. "That was two conditions, Kyo." She said.

"Whatever. You get the point." Kyo said, rolling his eyes. Tohru laughed. "Yes, I understand. I'll be careful."

Tohru opened the door. "Now, I think Kazuma is waiting for you. Have fun!" She said. Kyo started to walk outside, but he caught Tohru off guard when he kissed her. But, the kiss was so urgent. It was almost like Kyo felt like he would never kiss her again, that kind of urgent. He didn't know what was going on with him today, but it worried him.

Tohru giggled against his lips and then kissed him back.

Tohru released him first, and whispered in a breathy voice. "I love you."

Kyo held her close for a brief moment. "I love you too." He whispered back. He, very slowly, released her. "I won't be gone long, I promise." Kyo finally said. Then, he started running away from the house. Tohru waved at him. "Have fun, Kyo!" She shouted.

Kyo was long gone past the woods, and Tohru could no longer see him. She sighed to herself contently, and she shut the door behind her. She felt a nudge in her abdomen. She giggled, and touched it. "Don't worry. He'll be back." She said, happily.

She entered the living room and saw Saki still playing with Keiko. She also spotted Yuki to the side of the room, talking on the phone. Tohru sat down at the couch next to Saki. "What's going on?" Tohru asked. Keiko noticed Tohru sit down, and she gave Tohru the doll that she had left behind. Tohru smiled. "Thank you, Keiko." She said.

Yuki hung up the phone. "That was Machi. She wants me to come home." He said. Tohru walked up to Yuki. "Would you like me to make something for her?" She asked. For the moment, she didn't even think of Kyo's previous conditions.

Yuki shook his head. "No. Machi already cooked for herself. You need to rest anyway." He said, sounding a lot like Kyo.

Tohru smiled. "Will you come visit soon?" Tohru asked. Yuki smiled gently. "Of course I will, Tohru. And once Machi is up to it, I'm sure she will too." He said, uneasily. Machi was in her earlier pregnancy stages, and she is currently moody.

Tohru followed Yuki to the door to see him off. He turned around. "Take care of yourself, Tohru." He said, seriously. Tohru waved him away. "You're sounding like Kyo now. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Same as before, Yuki started walking away from the house, and Tohru waved goodbye until she could not see him anymore.

When Tohru sat down, again, Saki had a very serious look on her face. "Is something wrong, Hana?" Tohru asked. Saki blinked quickly. "Um, no. I just spaced out, that's all." This confused Tohru, because when did Saki ever space out? However, Saki was not going to tell Tohru she felt a sudden change in her aura. It wasn't a good one.

Keiko was quietly playing on the floor, and Saki was watching her now closely. Her mood suddenly changed to a melancholy one, as she watched her daughter play. "_If I don't tell Tohru…" _Saki said to herself. "Tohru." She stated. Tohru looked at her with full attention. "Yes?" Saki never looked at her. She kept watching Keiko. "Tell me, how have you been feeling lately, or in the past week?" Saki asked, hesitantly. Tohru blinked her eyes, quizzically. "I've been great. I guess I'm always so tired, but I think that's normal. " She said.

Saki nodded. "Nothing seems off about your baby?" She asked. Tohru was very confused now. She touched her abdomen. "No. He's been fine. He's very active." She said, happily. Saki's eyes closed. "_I have no choice."_

"Tohru, I believe there is something that you should know." Saki said. Tohru squirmed in her seat. "What is it?" She asked. Saki scooted closer to Tohru. "Do you remember when Keiko was born, and no one in this family knew about it until about eight months later?" She asked.

Tohru nodded. "Yeah, I do. You never did tell me why you kept her birth a secret." She said. Saki exhaled. "Tohru, the…"

"Mama." Keiko interrupted her. Saki reverted her attention back to Keiko. "Yes, dear?"

"Potty." She said, in a whiney voice. Saki smiled. "Good girl. Come on." She stood up and took Keiko's hand. She turned back to Tohru. "I'll be right back." Tohru nodded. Saki and Keiko went to the bathroom nearby. Tohru being Tohru decided to stand up and get something to drink. "Hmm, I actually don't want tea right now." She said to herself. She got to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Maybe, juice?" She said.

She slightly bent down, and when she did she felt an odd sensation in her abdomen that was not very comfortable. "Ugh, that didn't feel very good." She said. She stood up and shut the refrigerator door. "I guess I can't bend down that much anymore." She shrugged and went to get a glass, when she felt that sensation again. It was painful. "Ow." She groaned. She touched her stomach. "What's wrong?" She asked to nothing in particular, but it would seem she was asking her baby. She started breathing heavily, when the sudden pain didn't go away. "What's going on?" She asked. She started to walk slowly back to the living room, but another wave of pain caused her to stop short at the entrance of the kitchen. She grabbed the hinge of the door, so she would not fall. She tried to walk forward. "Ha…" She tried to say out loud but it was overtaken by a shout. She fell to her knees on the floor. She knew now.

"Hana!" She finally managed. She continued to hold onto her stomach and try to breathe. She understood: this was labor. "_It's too soon."_ She thought to herself. _"It hasn't been nine months. I've been healthy, I've been taking care of myself, what's wrong with him?" _Tohru continued to think about ever possibility that would cause her to go into labor pre-maturely. That is, until throughout all of this sudden pain and trying to keep herself under control, she remembered something: A flashback of a conversation she had with little Momiji years ago. She remembered:

_"Did you know children cursed by the Zodiac, when they're born, they're always born two months pre-mature."_

Tohru shouted again. "_No! It can't be! Please, no!"_ She started to cry, when she remembered something else that Momiji had said:

"_I know now that when a mother has a child who is cursed by the Zodiac, often she will either feel the need to be overly protective of it, or she'll reject it completely."_

The pain was overwhelming, the contractions and the thoughts clouding her head.

Saki found Tohru still by the door, with one hand gripping the door hinge and her other hand grasping her stomach. Saki knelt down next to Tohru. "Oh, Tohru." So, Saki's theory was right after all. She glanced over at her little girl that was standing watching, her eyes horror struck. Saki couldn't help but start crying her own tears. Looking at her daughter, she knew exactly how Tohru was feeling, since Keiko was the first that she knew of, to be born with the Zodiac curse.

Another shout from Tohru brought Saki back to herself. She, very quickly, picked up Keiko and sat her down on the couch. "Keiko, stay right here." She ordered. She went back to Tohru and hugged her.

"Tohru, it's all right." She said, trying to calm Tohru down. Tohru opened her eyes. "No. No, it's not okay!" She shouted. "_This can't be happening. The… The Zodiac curse. It's back. But… why? Why did it have to happen to me, to us? My baby. My little Katsuya." _Her vision started to blur, with the tears that started to fall from her eyes. She screamed again, when the contractions returned. She leaned against Saki's shoulder. Saki had a phone in her hand, about to call for help.

Tohru's vision blurred more, but not because of water. For a brief moment, she saw a glimpse of orange. Kyo. She tried to move towards him, but as her blurred vision of Kyo started to reach for her, she blacked out into a deep, painful sleep.

* * *

And this kicks off my Fruits Basket story. I hope to have chapter two up as soon as I can. It is finished, I just need to do last minute critiquing. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing, and any advice I will take seriously. Thanks again.

-Stephanie


	2. Nightmare

**Author's Note: **I'm a bit disappointed to see that I have 0 reviews and maybe 2 or 3 story alerts and favorites. I'm disappointed, but it's okay! I can be patient. :) And, I'm not going to give up on this story. I promise it's a great plot. So, here is chapter 2! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Fruits Basket.

**Summary:** After a few short years of peace, the Zodiac curse is inevitably back. With the new Zodiac curse, brings on a new generation. Tohru's memories are erased, not remembering anything of the Sohmas or her love for Kyo. Kyo now only has one thing that Tohru regretably left behind: They're only daughter.

Chapter 2: Nightmare

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

Kyo's POV

"_This… can not be happening!"_ I thought to myself as I help Tohru to Shigure's car. There is no doubt about it. She's in labor. But it's only been seven months! Premature. That means only one thing: That damn curse is back. Why? Why did it have to come back? My life has been peaceful since the curse of the cat left my body, and I have Tohru. What more do I need? But now, everything is being ripped away from me as I see it. I feel like I'm losing her, my Tohru. She's slipping away from my grasp.

I came home sooner than I had originally planned to. I wasn't halfway to my Master's home, when I simply changed my mind. I just didn't like the way my gut was feeling. I just had to go home to Tohru. And it's a good thing I did too.

With the assistance of Saki and Yuki, who ended up running back to Shigure's about the same time as I did, we got Tohru outside. Now, we just had to get her in the car. This is very unhelpful, considering that Tohru is still unconscious.

I hear a random sniffle. I looked to see Tohru's face, to see if it had come from her. But it was not Tohru. Her eyes were still closed shut. No, it was… Saki. She looked at me. "I'm sorry, so sorry." She kept whispering. Why is she apologizing? Unless… I took a quick look at her and my master's kid who was still sitting obediently on the couch. She had been silent through out the whole ordeal, but her eyes were filled with horror. I looked back at Saki. The look on her face nearly said it all. I pointed at the girl. "She has the…"

"Yes." She stuttered. She said no more, as tears collected at her eyes. She looked back at Tohru. "I'm so sorry, my dear Tohru." She said.

Yuki and I finally managed to get Tohru to the car when she screamed out of nowhere. "_Hold on, Tohru."_ I thought to myself. I felt her squirm. She had to be awake now. "Kyo…" She moaned in pain. What do I do? "_Get her to the hospital already, you damn fool. " _

"It's going to be okay." I whispered to her, but my heart didn't make it so. I didn't know what else to say to her. She sort of leaned off of Yuki and put majority of her body weight on me. It was more up to me to get her in the back of the car now, safely. Yuki and I did manage to get her into the back seat comfortably, now both of were sitting opposite side of her. Saki remained on the outside of the car, and just waved us off. I already knew why. The little girl was crying now. More than likely, she needed comfort after what the two year old had just seen. When she first saw Tohru, she was all happy and friendly and cheerful... Now, she was screaming in agony, crying... I could slightly understand how a young toddler would be traumatized by that sudden change.

I nodded off to Saki and started to shut the door. "Shigure, step on it already!" I shouted. Nothing more was said, and the car sped off, the doors automatically slamming. Tohru moaned again. There was a word that she kept mumbling, and I was having trouble making it out. I pulled her slightly closer to me so I could hear her clearly now. "No." She kept mumbling. I sighed. What more can I do? Everything is out of my control. I'm truly scared out of my wits. What else is going to go wrong today? I can just feel it. What if the baby doesn't make it? Tohru would just… break. I know that she's more excited than I am. And, it's not because I don't want to be a father, I do. I'm just afraid that I will be… a horrible father. This whole curse is making it worse. If the child is born okay, there's nothing wrong, great. But, if he… or she has this curse, what happens to Tohru?

"Ahh!" Tohru's moans of agony were starting to increase. I was about to say something, anything to make her feel better but…

"It's going to be okay, Tohru." That damn rat. Obviously, he was just as close to Tohru as I was. He was slightly holding onto her hand, his thumbs were massaging her hand. It was making me angry. Why is he able to care of her better than I can?

I simply hugged Tohru tightly, so tight. I just didn't want to let her go. And I really wanted Yuki to let go of her. I was about to say something to him, when Tohru suddenly whispers. "Kyo…" I lifted her chin up to look at me. She had tears staining her face, and they were only getting worse. I wiped some of them away, but they kept building up and falling down her cheeks. "Kyo, I'm so… scared." She sobbed and buried her face into my chest. I saw Yuki let go of her hand, and I sent him a death glare. He got the idea.

I lightly kissed the side of Tohru's head and whispered, voicing my own feelings. "I know… me too." I said, confirming it.

* * *

The experience at this damn hospital is just plain awful. I'm almost worried that I will pull my hair right out of its roots, every single strand. Wait, why the hell am I worried about my damn hair?

I am currently sitting in the waiting room. Why am I out _here_ and not in _there _with Tohru? I kept freaking out and was about to pummel the doctors that could not help Tohru right away. Luckily, Hatori showed up just in time, to _calmly_ escort me from the room, while the rest of the hospital staff helped Tohru. And I trusted Hatori enough to _calmly _leave the room...

Ahh, who am I kidding? Of course I caused a scene and put up a fight, until Hatori managed to get me outside. Now, here I am with the rest of the Sohma family. Go figure, everyone would be here, all with the same facial expressions. I already know Yuki told everyone. I also see a horrified look on his face as well. He keeps looking at his wife, then his wife's stomach. He knows full well that his kid will have this curse too. If my master's kid has it, and my kid has it, there's no doubt that the rest of the Sohma's offspring will have this damn curse. I still can't believe after all that we've been through; it just had to come back and haunt us again. So much for hoping to be normal, we will never be normal.

I felt someone's hand gently touch my shoulder, since my head was rested in my hands now. I already knew that it was my master, because I know that no one else would be bold enough to approach me right now. But, right now, my master went into father mode. So, now he's my father, not my master. I was a bit pissed at him though. I lifted my head up, my eyes glaring deeply into his.

"Why did you keep this from me?" I asked. His eyes were gentle, sympathetic.

"Kyo, I am so sorry for keep…"

"Then why did you?" I interrupted him, hastily. He sighed.

"Saki was uncomfortable with the idea of everyone knowing. That's why she barely visited anyone. It took almost a year for Saki to become comfortable with taking Keiko out in public. That's why she didn't see Tohru very much." I understood the problem. Saki went into over protective mode. I couldn't help but ask.

"So, what happened that day? When she was born, I mean…" I said. I just had to know. My father's eyes closed briefly, probably thinking from that stressful day.

"It was in the middle of the night. She was resting, and she was comfortable, for once…" He started. I saw his eyes squint, and he opened them again. "Then her… water broke, and everything went haywire after that. She was panicking, confused, and worried, just as I was. The curse honestly never hit her mind. She only knew that her child was in danger and she was frightened. It took all of my will power to calm her down, because I was worried too..."| He paused momentarily, and I just stayed quiet.

"Once we were at the hospital, we weren't able to get a hold of Hatori until the very last minute, when Saki was already giving birth to her. I was worried, because I already knew. But, how was I supposed to tell her that our child had the curse? Sure, she knew of it, because I had told her about it, but telling her then would only put more stress on her." He paused for a moment. "But, before I knew it, the doctor was holding my daughter."

Right then, I saw a sudden gleam in his eyes. I know how much he really loves his daughter, because when we train, Keiko is all he talks about. How quickly she grows, how smart she is for being so young. I hear all about it.

"At first, I wasn't too worried once she was born, plus Hatori had just arrived. You would think the doctor was going to give her to Saki. But, he brought Keiko just a little too close to his chest." His eyes closed again. "And the familiar smoke appeared. Hatori tried to take Keiko away, to cover what had just happened. But, no one could miss the little black rabbit in Hatori's arms."

My father cringed. I gulped involuntarily, because I suddenly understood what he was feeling. The rabbit, huh? Like Momiji.

"Saki was terrified. She was shocked, and she suddenly started demanding that Hatori give the baby to her. He did, and Saki just started petting Keiko, until she transformed back to herself. She held Keiko and kept pulling her closer, like she was trying to protect her. That's when I knew… that she did not reject Keiko. I was very relieved to know that. However, one glance at the doctor who delivered Keiko revealed everything. This doctor was backing away for the door. I looked at Hatori, frightened. Hatori did not hesitate, and he followed the doctor. I took that moment to actually look at Keiko, and make sure that Saki was okay. Saki seemed to be protecting Keiko from me too. And, for a moment, Saki wouldn't even let me hold her. With much persuasion, she did eventually."

"When Hatori returned, he let me know that the doctor's memories were erased. I was surprised that Hatori still had the power to do that. But, after that I felt better about Keiko. However, Saki was not. She was not ashamed, but she didn't want anyone else to know about her. So, I agreed to not tell anyone, including you, my son."

I didn't know what to say. It wasn't shock, it was… Oh, I don't know. "What am I going to do?" I suddenly asked. "Tohru will never be the same after this. What if she can't even hold her own child? You were lucky; you both can hold Keiko. Tohru might not be able to… well without him transforming." Who knows? Maybe we won't have a son, but it's what Tohru seems to want. If her wish comes true, she won't ever be able to hold him. I started to cringe. What if he inherits the curse of the cat? I bury my head in my hands again. This is just too much. My father's hand is rested on my shoulder again.

"I know it's frightening, Kyo." He said, trying to reassure me. Nothing will reassure me though. I just want to see Tohru, no I need to see Tohru. No one could understand what Tohru must be going through right now, not even me. I momentarily glanced at a clock that was hanging on the wall. Are you kidding me? We've only been here for maybe fifteen minutes at the most. But, it really feels like hours.

"Dad." I stated, my eyes still glued to the clock. "There is no way in Hell I'm going to sit out here and leave Tohru there all by herself _all day_." I said. He stood up. "I'll be right back." He said. I just turned my face back to my hands, when I hear a random kid screaming. I covered my ears and lift my head up again. What kid could possibly make that much noise? When I found the source of the noise, the kid was with… Hatsuharu and Rin? When did they have a kid? I didn't even know they were in town. The past few years, they had been traveling together.

Damn, that kid is loud. And now thinking about how loud he is, gives me this overwhelming thought about children. They are so damn noisy, and its a hectic thought to come across. Now, I've got the double dosage of fear. Parenthood and that damn curse.

When the kid finally shut up, I just shook my head. I really don't care about anyone else. I know I'll get all the answers later, considering the rest of the family is staring at them as well. I just shrug my shoulders with a sigh.

From around the corner, I saw my dad and Hatori emerge. I wasted no time standing up out of my chair and running to meet up with both of them.

"Well?" I said, demandingly. Hatori turned around and motioned for me to follow, then he responded. "Tohru needs you." He didn't have to tell me that twice. I already knew where the room was and sprinted full speed to get there.

* * *

On the other side of the door, Tohru was a mess. I almost turned the other direction, back out the door. I didn't want to see her in the shape that she was in. But, I had to come back to myself and remain by Tohru's side. She grasped my hand, but not like she was in pain. It was almost _reassuring._ Of course, Tohru would worry about other people instead of her own self. She's in labor for God's sake!

She squinted almsot instantly and her grip becomes harsher now. She breathes and keeps her eye contact with me. "Kyo." She says, groggily. I bend over to be at eye level with her. "I…" She starts, but she squints again, and then lets out a painful moan. I sweep her hair back that was starting to stick to her face. "Tohru, please, don't speak." I say. Her eyes open back up, widening. "No, Kyo! Please…" She starts again, but once again, she's overtaken by pain again. I'm almost getting peeved at Tohru for being so stubborn right now.

"Tohru, you don't have to say anything. Just… stop talking!" I say, almost too harshly. Then, I see tears form at the corners of her eyes, and they start to fall. I gently touch her face. I wasn't trying to hurt her feelings. I stroked one tear away, but they kept falling. I now feel her grip on my hand soften. It went back to a reassuring squeeze. She exhales deeply, and clears her throat. "Kyo, please listen to me." She says, now more calmly. But she continues to cry. "I promise." She says. I swallow the acid that was boiling at the base of my throat. "You don't have to promise anything…" I started to say, when she stops me with her mouth? Such will power. I have to be the strong one here and release her. "No, Kyo, you don't understand. I promise no matter what happens…" She pauses, and she breathes heavily. "I will love him more than anything." The baby. "I promise I won't reject him." Now, she sobs. "I promise he won't be like this forever. I'll do what I can to break the curse again."

Why is she thinking so ahead of this? Is that all that she's been thinking about all day.

"And, Kyo, I love you." She says suddenly.

Her breath hitched again and the harsh grip on my hand returns. I caress her cheek again. "Tohru, don't speak anymore. I understand." She just nods.

"Kyo…" I hugged her lightly around the shoulders.

"I know." I say. Our embrace was cut short, when Hatori, who had been in the room the whole time checking on Tohru, suddenly said to one of the other nurses on staff, "We have no time."

Tohru and my eyes widen ten fold. What is he talking about?

He looks at Tohru. "Tohru, brace yourself. This baby is coming _now._"

Say what? Tohru remained quiet, and just stared, as if she wasn't there. I however was not so fortunate.

"What are you talking about? " I said, abruptly. Hatori looked at me. "She's fully dilated now." My vision started to swim. I knew what that meant, but it was almost too good to be true. Tohru suddenly screamed. I remembered, _pain._

"Wait, what about that shot?" I asked. That sounded so stupid, to call it a shot, but I just couldn't think straight. And right now, I coudl careless what the real word was. No matter what, I didn't want Tohru in any pain anymore.

Hatori said plain and simply: "Like I said, we have no time." He stood up. "Hang in there, Tohru. I'll be right back." Why do I have the feeling to just faint? It's all happening way too fast. We haven't been here barely twenty minutes. I thought we were going to be here all day. Twenty minutes? That's too fast. I'm scared all of a sudden.

I kept my hand gripped tightly with Tohru's, but I watched Hatori leave the room, only to meet up with Akito? What is she doing here? I saw that she was crying and speaking to Hatori. His eyes widened, but then they softened up. He seemed to be pondering something. He shook his head, but then Akito grabbed him by the shoulders, tears streaming down her face very harshly. Hatori looked away so I couldn't see his eyes anymore. But, I saw his head nod. What the hell is going on?

* * *

We're about what, twenty minutes into this thing? I thought the baby was coming _now. _Am I getting impatient? Yes, I am. I want this day to be over with. But, this day ending would mean confirming my worst nightmare.

Tohru's head falls back onto the pillow. "Ah, help…" She mumbles. Who is she asking this of? I rub circles on her palm.

Hatori looks up at her. "Almost done, Tohru. Come on." Tohru nods, and we're back to the basics.

I'm trying to keep my focus on what's happening here, mainly my focus is on Tohru. But, I'm constantly getting distracted by the door. My glance keeps shifting to the door, and I keep seeing Akito watching from the outside. Why is she standing there watching all of this? Yeah, I know she doesn't necessarily hate Tohru anymore, but the fact that she's staring is really giving me the creeps. And, she's still crying. Why is she crying?

When I hear Hatori say, "The head is out," everything happens in slow motion. With Tohru busy doing her hectic job, she's almost oblivious. My father and Shigure unexpectedly burst into the room, their arms around me in a chokehold.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" I demanded. They start pulling me away from Tohru. Wait… wait… the baby! I see it! Hatori is holding him. I start fighting. "Damn it! Let me go! What is going on?" I saw Tohru smile, but then she passed out. I don't think she even noticed I wasn't there anymore, right next to her.

I'm still fighting the grip that Dad and Shigure have on me. "Please, let me go!"

The door opens, and I'm back outside. They dropped me on the floor and I scramble back to my feet, ready to run back in the room. But, they're arms are holding me back again.

"Kyo, we're sorry." My father says from behind me. My eyes widen, and I turn around to face them. Their eyes are red.

"Why did you guys do that? What's going on?" I shout again.

Shigure sniffs. "We did this for Tohru."

What? I turn back to the door, watching now, since I can't fight their hold on me. Hatori gave the baby to a femal nurse. Wait! He'll transform. Is Hatori stupid? Why didn't he give him to Tohru? Wait, Tohru is still unconscious. But, then I see Hatori approach her. His eyes are suddenly red too.

I look back at the whole waiting room. The whole family has sympathetic looks, tears in everyone's eyes. But why? I look back through the door, and before I could react, Hatori's hand touches Tohru's forehead.

Wait! Her forehead? NO! Now, I know what's going on? Her memories, he's about to erase them! I start fighting against Shigure and my father's grips and start banging the hell out of the door.

"No! Stop it! Why are you doing this? You can't do this to her!" I start shouting, fighting against Shigure and my father. _"Can't do this to me!" _I thought. I couldn't stop the tears falling from my eyes.

Tohru.

When Hatori's hand leaves Tohru's forehead, he reverts his attention to the baby.

I can't begin to fathom this. She's gone, really gone. I fell to the floor; my fists start banging against the floor. "No... No!"

When Shigure said, "We did this for Tohru," were they putting her out of her misery?

Now, I know, this is all Akito's fault! When she was talking to Hatori, she was ordering him to erase Tohru's memories. So much for Akito changing, she's still the same evil nuisance in every Sohma's life.

But, what am I going to do? I'm alone now, all alone. I can't even explain this form of pain. Tohru, my Tohru, is gone, forever.

* * *

Wow, this chapter was pretty hard to write, but the next one will be even harder. I do hope that people will start reading this. I promise things get better! Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I finish it. Thanks to those who read. :)

-Stephanie


	3. Strength

**Author's Note: **Hello, fellow Fruits Basket and anime fans, I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update. It was a really hard one to write for some reason. But, it is now 2:29 am, and I need some sleep, plus i have to work tomorrow evening, so good night everyone. Enjoy Chapter 3. :)

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Fruits Basket.

**Summary:** After a few short years of peace, the Zodiac curse is inevitably back. With the new Zodiac curse, brings on a new generation. Tohru's memories are erased, not remembering anything of the Sohmas or her love for Kyo. Kyo now only has one thing that Tohru regretably left behind: They're only daughter.

Chapter 3: Strength

"Talking"

"_Thoughts_"

Kyo kept running. After the events fell upon him, he left the hospital in a rush. No one could stop him; no one dared to try. He kept pushing himself further, and his pace kept increasing. He honestly felt like he could run across the whole world and would never feel tired afterwards. He just couldn't grasp, couldn't fathom the idea: his beloved Tohru was gone. He would never see her again. Of course, how could he? If her memories were erased, doesn't that mean she won't remember him, her own husband? She probably won't remember anything in regards to the Sohma family. So, what happens to her? What happens to him? Is he supposed to just continue on with his life? Act as if she never existed, like she doesn't even matter to him? Kyo continued to ponder these questions. Maybe he should get his memories erased too. He seriously considered this option. The pain would go away and it would remain away. No longer would Tohru enter his mind, because he would have forgotten. But, of course, he knew his family would never be so kind. As far as Kyo was concerned, he had no family. After what his own father did to him, the word _family_ didn't exist.

Kyo finally reached a stopping point. He punched a tree that he happened to stop in front of. The tears continued to fall down his face, as he continued to punch the tree. The tree never budged though. When he pulled his hand away and glanced at it, blood was flowing profusely from his veins. He couldn't even feel that it hurt. He was numb, blank… empty. He just stared at his hand, wondering if he would just bleed to death. To him, death would be relief right about now. As he watched his hand, the bleeding started to slow. He growled at it, and started punching the tree again. However, it didn't make him feel any better. He stopped punching the tree and stared at his hand again. This time, he started to feel light headed.

"_Tohru." _

He gladly closed his eyes and willingly blacked out.

* * *

Lights were shining everywhere. "Kyo?" A voice said. The lights shined more into Kyo's closed eyes. He squinted and unconsciously covered his eyes. Two hands pulled his arm away from his eyes. "Kyo, wake up now." The voice said, firmly. In his sleep, Kyo already knew who it was. He growled at it. His eyes opened and they glared at the two men hovering over his face.

"Can you sit up?" Kazuma asked, in a concerned tone. Kyo only glared at him, but he sat up anyway. His glare started to disappear to the point where he just stared at nothing. He only wished that he could go back to sleep again. At least then, he would have nothing to think about. His pain could disappear, for at least a brief moment. Both, Kazuma and Hatori couldn't help but feel horrible for him, but they had no choice. Kazuma touched Kyo's shoulder, and Kyo flinched back to reality.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted, and he without hesitation, jumped out of the hospital bed and ran out the door. However, it's not like he could run far. Shigure, Yuki, and Hatsuharu were right outside the door, ready to stop him. He blindly paid no mind, and continued to run past them. But all three men grabbed a hold of him, holding him back. To Kyo's dismay, it was Yuki who actually stopped him from pursuing forward. He growled at him.

"If you know what's good for you, you damn rat, you had better release me!" He seethed, his teeth gritting together. Yuki sighed to himself. He personally didn't think this was fair to Kyo, but it had to be done.

"Kyo." Kyo's attention reverted to Kazuma who called out to him. As he approached him, Kyo started to struggle against the men's grip.

"Stay away from me!" Kyo shouted. His glare towards Kazuma was sidetracked when he saw Akito walking down the hall. He was struggling even harder now. Shigure, who happened to see who Kyo was staring at, released Kyo, and ran after Akito to protect her. Kyo snarled.

"Let me go! Let me go! I'm going to kill her! I swear, I'll kill her!" He shouted. This time, he started using his feet to kick Yuki, but his attacks were useless. Finally, when Kazuma had had enough of Kyo's antics, he punched him straight in the face. All it did was stun Kyo. He staggered backwards and just stared at Kazuma. As he started to rub his now red cheek, his glare disappeared. His head fell forward, so his bangs started to cover his eyes. But, Kazuma couldn't mistaken the single drop of liquid that landed on the floor. Kyo immediately became embarrassed when that single tear fell from his eye.

"Why, Dad?" He asked. Seeing Kyo like this, Yuki let him go, Hatsuharu following his lead. Kyo just fell to his knees on the ground. They stood back, and Kazuma gave them both dismissive glances. Hatsuharu started to walk away, but he saw that Yuki had not moved. He pulled on Yuki's elbow, leading him away from Kazuma and Kyo.

Kazuma stood over Kyo's body and knelt down in front of him. "Come on, Kyo. We need to talk." Kyo lifted his head slightly, and he whispered, "I don't want to talk to you." He said, sharply. Kazuma sighed and hesitantly touched his shoulder. "Son... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He said. Kyo's head was fully lifted now. His famous facial expression of the day appeared once again: His glare. Kazuma's eyes softened. He had to be harsh now, but he really did feel sorry for the way things turned out for his son.

"I know you're confused and angry right now, Kyo. But, unfortunately, we have to move on from here." Kyo's face that held the glare went from a glare to an astonished look. He stood up abruptly. "What? Move on from here?" He shouted. Kazuma slowly stood up to Kyo's level and waited for Kyo to get his ranting over with. He knew that he needed it.

"You expect me to move on? How? I've never believed you could be so heartless. First, you allow Akito to take Tohru away from me and now you want me to get over it and move on with my life? How could you?" Kyo said. He put his head in his hands, and stayed silent.

"Kyo." Kazuma said. His eyes briefly closed, as he tried to think of the right words to say to his son. In truth, Kyo was right. How could he?

"Listen, I know this is tough, no, worse than tough. I know this is the most horrible thing to happen in your life, but Kyo, right now, you have to be strong." Kyo's head slightly lifted. He whispered.

"I've been tough my whole life, Dad." He mumbled. Kazuma sighed. Now what? There was only one way to get Kyo to realize what is happening now.

"Kyo, you have to be strong... not just for me, or even Tohru for that matter, but...

"Who, Dad? Who?" Kyo shouted, interrupted him. Kazuma placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder. A gentle smile graced his face. "Kyo, have you forgotten? You are a father now."

Kyo's head fully lifted up.

_"A... father." _

* * *

Saki came running through the hospital hallways, with as much speed as a woman with a two year old in her arms could sustain. She had tears running down in her face, and in response, little Keiko was also crying. Now, Kyo and Kazuma were standing, still speaking it seemed like. When Keiko spotted her father, she pushed against Saki's chest to be placed on the ground. Saki placed Keiko on her feet, and Keiko ran for Kazuma. "Daddy! Daddy!" She shouted, still crying. Kazuma knelt down and picked up Keiko.

The belief was that Keiko was only upset because her mother was upset. Kyo stepped aside, and Kazuma took a seat that was the closest to him. With Keiko in his lap, he rubbed her back and quietly whispered to her.

"You're all right. Calm down now." He kept murmuring soft words to her, and her sobs turned into soft sniffles.

Kyo watched the scene before him. He noticed how Kazuma was capable of being so calm, when his daughter seemed to be a total wreck. He figured if it were his kid, he would probably start flipping out too. He wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with it.

"_Tohru would be the best at that." _He thought to himself solemnly. He started to go back into his depressed shell, when Saki said something.

"Kazuma, which room is Tohru in?" Kyo mentally opened his ears up to listen to what Kazuma would say. Kazuma stood up with Keiko in his arms and lead Saki about halfway towards Tohru's room. Once Saki had the directions, she hesitantly looked at Keiko and at Kazuma. As if Kazuma read her mind, he said, "She'll be fine with me, Saki." He assured her. Saki slightly smiled, and suddenly ran towards Tohru's hospital room.

"Mama." Keiko said, reaching for the direction that Saki had taken.

"She'll be back, Keiko." Kazuma said. Keiko settled down comfortably in Kazuma's arms, and he redirected his attention back to Kyo.

"Well, are you ready?" He asked.

Whatever was on Kyo's mind, it ceased. Kyo looked up at Kazuma.

"Ready for what?" He asked, oblivious. Kazuma almost wanted to laugh... almost.

"So, you don't want to see your own kid?" He asked, with a hint of a smirk on his face. At first, Kyo's face heightened with excitement, but then he stopped short. His face fell again.

"I can't." He said, quietly.

Kazuma sighed. He stepped forward and held onto Kyo's shoulder again.

"Come on, you know better than that. Let's go. The rest of the family has already gone to look through the window." Kazuma started to lead the way, and Kyo sluggishly followed. In all honesty, Kyo was scared. He hasn't met this new person before. Right now, it felt almost wrong. How come he was allowed to see it, but Tohru was not. If he was going to think realistically here, Tohru probably knew the kid more than he did. There was not doubt about that. But, yet, Tohru is unable to meet him, really meet him. It just wasn't fair.

* * *

"Okay, here we are." Kazuma announced. Kyo noticed a slight crowd, which happened to be just his family crowding around the glass window. He noticed the women had tears in the eyes, and he also noticed that some of the men's eyes were red too. Why was everyone crying? It's just a baby, right? Did a baby have that much power, to make everyone cry? Kyo thought of all of these questions, while Kazuma knocked on the door to the nursery. Kyo started to walk closer to the crowd, when Kazuma stopped him.

Before he even spoke, Kagura came forward and Kazuma handed Keiko to her. Kagura nodded at Kazuma and took Keiko to look through the window. She started pointing at what was on the other side of the window. Keiko started to smile brightly. With Keiko occupied, Kazuma reverted his attention to Kyo.

"Kyo, wouldn't you two rather meet in there, rather than out here. Since you're the father, you're allowed access to this room. Since I'm the child's potential grandfather, I'm also allowed in here." He said.

Kyo just stared at the door and at Kazuma.

"Okay." He said. As he started to walk through the door, he stopped short.

"Wait, have you seen him yet?" He asked Kazuma.

"No, Kyo. I was searching for you for over two hours." He said, simply. Kyo wasn't sure if he should ask the next question, or not. But, he felt like it was important.

"Has _she _seen him?" He asked, partially hoping that the answer was yes. He would feel better if he knew that Tohru got to meet him too. Kazuma gave Kyo an apologetic look. He shook his head.

"No, she hasn't." He said. He didn't think he should say more. Kyo should know what erasing Tohru's memories meant.

Kyo only nodded and walked all the way through the door. As the door shut behind him and Kazuma, he stopped again. The room was bigger than he thought it would be. He noticed baby basinets everywhere. He was surprised that the room was quiet. It almost gave him the creeps. Kazuma was talking to one of the nurses, when Kyo decided to find his child himself. He assumed since his family was crowded around the window, then that must be where the kid is. He knew that his family was staring at him with sympathetic looks, but he didn't really care at this point. He didn't dare look at any of their faces.

Finally, he found it. There was a specific bassinet sitting the closest to the window. The baby was wrapped in blue, so he assumed it was a boy. The baby's head was covered in dark brown hair.

He knew it. This had to be the son that Tohru thought of, minus the orange hair. And, that's just the way Kyo liked it. The less he looked like him, the better. He just stared at the sleeping little one. He wanted to touch him, but was just too afraid to. It felt wrong to him.

"Kyo." He turned to see Kazuma staring at him with an amused look. Kyo's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"Kyo, what are you doing? That's the wrong one." He said. Kyo's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? This isn't..."

Kazuma laughed.

"Kyo, that's not your son." His arm slightly stretched to the right.

"Your _daughter_ is right over there." Kyo was speechless. He swallowed, almost afraid of what he would really see.

"D.. Daughter?" He questioned. Kazuma smiled. "Yes, come look at her." Kyo hesitantly nodded and walked towards the real bassinet. He followed Kazuma slowly.

What Kyo was feeling, it wasn't anger. It was fear. Tohru had never mentioned a daughter much. She just assumed and hoped that it was a son. In all honesty, he didn't care. But now, what if this little girl happens to look just like Tohru. Brown hair, beautiful bright blue eyes...

Kyo swallowed again. He didn't know how he would be able to fathom the pain. A mini-Tohru?

_"How could I possibly..." _Kyo suddenly ran straight into Kazuma's back. He straightened himself up and stared at Kazuma's face. He was seriously afraid to look at the baby that slept in the bassinet.

Kazuma started chuckling lightly. Kyo just stared at his face, while Kazuma laughed at what he must have seen in the bassinet. He looked right at Kyo.

"Son, meet your daughter."

* * *

Kyo was wrong, again. In fact, the baby wasn't even asleep. She was wide awake, looking at everything around her. He couldn't mistake this baby either, because right on the side of the basinet, a sticker read Sohma on it. Yes, it was his.

Instead of her hair being brown, it was a light red color. It would probably darken up as she got older.

Kyo stared at her face for the longest time, it seemed. And, it wasn't her hair that caught his attention. It was her eyes. They were the exact same blue as Tohru's. She had Tohru's eyes. When the baby finally locked eyes with Kyo's, he felt as if his heart had skipped a beat.

_"Wow."_ Kyo thought to himself. He had never felt this way before. It was like falling in love all over again, but it was so different. The love he suddenly felt for this child was so different from his love for Tohru. But, it was still love, nonetheless. At the same time, he still couldn't help but feel guilt out of this.

"_Tohru should be able to see this, see her." _For some reason, he kept thinking like he screwed up somewhere. But, more than anything, he feared that this innocent little girl would be screwed up forever. The curse, and not having a loving mother like Tohru in her life. It just wasn't right. And, he is her father, right? So, shouldn't he do what he feels is best for her? He already knew what the best thing for her was.

"Kyo, you can pick her up, you know." Kazuma said, breaking Kyo from his thoughts. Kyo stared at the baby, and noticed just how small she was, how fragile looking. He was afraid to hold her.

With a knowing smile, Kazuma gently scooped the baby up in his arms. As Kyo watched him, it seemed so natural to Kazuma. He was so gentle with her, and she never made a sound. However, once the baby was settled in Kazuma's arms comfortably, she started looking around frantically. She couldn't lift her head obviously, so she couldn't see Kyo anymore. She started crying.

The worst, most frightening sound Kyo could come across: That baby's cry. It was a shrill, high pitched, very annoying sound. Kyo couldn't help but close his ears. The problem was, it would not stop. Kyo groaned with a possible headache coming on.

_"You've got to be kidding me."_ Kyo thought to himself.

"Ahh, make it stop! Please?" He nearly shouted desperately. Kazuma slightly smirked.

"Here. Figure out how to make her stop." Kazuma said. He started to hand the baby to Kyo, but Kyo hesitated. His hands were still covering his ears. His eyes screamed panic. Kazuma smiled.

"Kyo, hold her." He said, almost firmly. Kyo's hands started to lower, and he awkwardly held his arms out for the baby. The baby was still crying, and Kyo constantly cringed. Before he could think straight, the baby was settled in his arms, and Kazuma was positioning Kyo's arms correctly. Kazuma let go of his arms and watched him.

"Now, what?" Kyo asked, frantically. He didn't know how to do this. He never handled infants before. Kazuma smiled, knowingly. He remembered what it was like the first time with Keiko.

"First, Kyo, you need to calm down. Your distress is upsetting her. So, she won't settle down until you do."

"_How on Earth is Kazuma able to speak over this screaming child?" _Kyo thought to himself. He looked around, trying to think of something, anything to shut this kid up. He spotted a rocking chair, maybe that would help. He walked over to it, with the child still awkwardly in his arms. He sat down, and just stared at her. He noticed that her eyes were closed tightly, while she cried. His head was beginning to pound. This was the only thing he could think of.

"Hey, hey! Knock it off!" Then, before he realized what he was doing, he was rocking the chair and rocking her in his arms.

"Stop it! Please, stop it!" But, him shouting didn't make it better, it made it worse. Kazuma, who happened to be watching and observing, intervened again.

"Shouting at her will not help. You need to calm down." He said. Kyo stopped rocking the chair, and continued to stare at the baby. Watching her cry now, he learned that he never wanted to see her cry. But, that's an understatement. The baby was just born today, she'll be just crying for a long time. Kyo groaned at the thought.

_"There's no way I can do this."_ He thought to himself. He did obviously stop shouting. He stopped rocking the chair and started to just stare at the baby. And, maybe the silence would calm her down.

Sure enough, she did settle down, somewhat. She was whining, but her huge outbreak was over... For now.

Kyo exhaled heavily and thought of something else.

_"She probably wants her mother." _He thought solemnly. He finally came up with a rational idea, the most logic he had all day.

"Could she be hungry?" Kyo whispered, completely unsure. Kazuma nodded slowly.

"That's possible. Do you think she's hungry?" Kazuma asked. The way Kazuma asked it, Kyo felt like he was being teased.

"I don't know! I'm not her mother!" The new outburst from Kyo caused the baby to start crying loudly once again.

"Ahh, stop it. Stop it. Please?" Kyo persuaded. Once again, he couldn't help but panic when that baby started to cry. And his tone wasn't helping. Kazuma just shook his head and stared. Kyo would learn. And, this was a learning exercise.

Kyo's eyes scrunched tight again, and to himself, he thought, "_Tohru, help me."_ She would probably know what to do without a second thought.

He tried to look back on anytime she had been near an infant. The only time he could recall was when they were baby sitting Arisa and Kureno's son, Kazuo. Kyo honestly didn't do much, because Tohru just couldn't keep her hands off of that poor baby. One thing Kyo distinctly remembered was when Arisa and Kureno left for their date for the night. Just like right now with his daughter, he cringed when that little boy let his lungs loose. But, Tohru reacted totally different. She rocked him, sang to him, and she didn't even ask for Kyo to help her. At the end of the night, when Arisa and Kureno returned home, Tohru and Kazuo were curled up on the couch asleep. Once Tohru was awake, she almost didn't want to give Kazuo back to Arisa. Kyo assumed that was why she probably wanted a son. He simply clung to her. Then again, anyone who met Tohru tended to cling to her, even Kyo.

As Kyo's thoughts collected, he noticed that the baby had calmed down somewhat. She was back to her sniffles and whimpers. He exhaled deeply, and lightly patted her back. "That's... much better." Kyo said to himself. While he watched his daughter, her eyes locked with his, she got quieter. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kazuma smiling.

"She's starting to get attached to you." Kazuma commented. Kyo looked up at Kazuma and hesitantly nodded, although he still had the "Help me" look on his face. While Kyo stared blankly at Kazuma, the baby started to whine louder and squirm in his arms. Kyo's eyes widened and looked at his daughter.

He wanted to shout, he wanted to run away; he was almost willing to do anything to make that kid remain silent.

But, out of all of those three options, Kyo didn't do either of them. All he could do was think about what Tohru would do in this situation. He started to rock her gently, and for the first time all day, he spoke to her.

"Hey, hey." He spoke quietly. It was more of a mumble, but it was audible.

"Please stop crying." He begged. The baby started to cling to his shirt tightly. He could almost feel what little strength the little one had.

She calmed down again, but Kyo didn't believe it was for good.

"It's okay." He finally whispered. He really didn't know what else to say. In all honesty, he was frightened. He just, was not ready for this. It seemed so sudden, even though he supposedly had nine months to prepare for it. Maybe he depended on Tohru too much. He knew that Tohru was so attached, that she would be able to take care of everything. Kyo never dreamed that the situation would have to be reversed. He never dreamed that Tohru would be taken away from him either.

But now, Kyo also had to think about his daughter. What about her? Tohru was taken away from her too. He knew that Tohru loved her deeply, the real truth was, Kyo loved this newborn too. He wanted her to be happy. And, he knew that she would be the most happy with Tohru.

"Well, Kyo." Kazuma broke Kyo of his thoughts, once again. Kyo didn't look at him this time, but he acknowledged him with a mumble.

"Is there a name for her, or are we just going to call her Sohma for the rest of her life?" He asked.

Kyo started to think it over. Once again, another flashback came through his mind:

* * *

_Kyo was lying on his bed with his arms behind his head. His eyes were closed, but he was very aware of everything around him. He heard the door to Shigure's house open, then close. His eyes flew open, and he hopped off of the bed. He ran down the steps and greeted the already known visitor. Tohru stood at the door with the largest of smiles on her face. _

_"Well?" Kyo asked, hastily. Tohru giggled. She pulled out a small photograph from her purse and handed it to him. _

_"Here's the latest one." She said, excited. Kyo looked at the photo, observing, to see if there was a change from the photo from Tohru's previous doctor's appointment. Unfortunately, he could see no change. The picture was so blurry, he couldn't tell where the person's head was, or its foot or arm. He looked at Tohru. She smiled, and pointed and explained where everything was. There was one thing that Tohru did not mention, what was the gender? _

_"Wait, I thought Hatori was going to tell you what it was today." He said, confused. Tohru smiled and sighed._

_"Well, he tried to. He said we probably won't find out until it's born. I kind of like that. The idea of a surprise." She said, excited. Kyo only nodded and stared at the photograph. He sat down on the couch, and Tohru followed suit. She sighed heavily._

_"Are you okay?" Kyo asked. Tohru nodded and mumbled yes to him. He reached out for her, and pulled her in towards his chest. She fidgeted to get comfortable, what, with her stomach getting in the way, and all. Once she was comfortable, she sighed again, content. _

_"So, what do you think, Kyo?" She asked, quietly. _

_"Hm?" He said, just as quiet._

_"The baby. What do you think it will be?" She asked. Kyo shrugged his shoulders lightly._

_"I don't know. I don't really care what it is either. It's not like we have a say in what we get, you know." He said. Tohru giggled. _

_"Yes, I know. But it's still fun to imagine what the child could be, or what he or she will look like. You know, if I thought about it really hard, I'll bet we have a boy." She said, giggling again. Kyo's eye rose in question._

_"Why a boy?" He asked, curiously._

_"I think because I want a kid to look just like you, Kyo." She said, while snuggling into him tighter. Kyo didn't say anything to that. "That's just ridiculous." Kyo thought to himself. He didn't want Tohru's feelings to easily get hurt by his insensitivity. _

_Tohru turned her head so she could see his face._

_"Kyo, if it's not too much trouble, or too much to ask.." She hesitated. Kyo rolled his eyes. Why is she still worrying about "causing trouble?" Would she ever grow out of that?_

_"Whatever you want." Kyo said, quietly. _

_"I already have a name for him..." She started. When Kyo looked at her, she said, "I mean if you already have a name picked out, that's fine! I mean, I'm sure we can use my name if we decide to have another kid some day.. Or, even, if you want to have another kid some day that is, I mean it's all up to you..." She started stuttering like she typically did. _

_One of Kyo's fingers gently touched Tohru's lips, silencing her. _

_"It's okay. I don't really care. What name did you have in mind?" He asked her. Tohru's eyes lit up._

_"Well, I was really thinking of naming him after my dad, Katsuya." She said. "But, I don't want to just hog the name. Maybe you wanted to name him after your father too." Tohru said. Kyo scoffed._

_"Yeah, right. Why would I want to name him after my bastard of a father?" He asked, harshly. Tohru lightly jumped. She didn't mean to make him upset. _

_"No, I didn't mean him. I was talking about Kazuma." She said, gently. Kyo settled back into the couch._

_"Oh, well, that's different." Kyo said. There was a few seconds of no words spoken. Then, Kyo whispered, "I like Katsuya." Tohru jumped slightly._

_"Are you sure, Kyo? I promise, if you want to name him something else, it won't bother me at all!" She said. Kyo started to chuckle slightly. _

_"No, Tohru. Honestly, I don't care what you want to name him." He kept the next comment to himself. "_Besides, once it's all done and over with, you deserve to name him anyway."_ He thought. _

_"So." He said, out loud. "What if we don't have a son?" He asked, curiously. Tohru's smile was just as bright as before._

_"Well, if we have a little girl, it won't be any different than a son. Although, I'd really want her to look like Mom."_

"Of course she would."_ Kyo thought to himself. _

_"It would make me really happy if I had a daughter to remind of my my mom when she was alive. She could have her spit fire personality, and looks, and everything. I want to name her Kyoko... Unless you want to name her after your mom or something." Tohru said. Kyo waved his hand at her._

_"No, I don't care. You can name it whatever you want." He said, reassuringly. Tohru was skeptical at first, but then she nodded. She touched her stomach. _

_"Then, I guess it's settled, little Katsuya or Kyoko." _

_

* * *

_

A tiny whine brought Kyo from his thoughts. He looked down at his daughter. _"Now, look at us. It seems like Tohru didn't get anything that she truly wanted."_ It was the truth. It seemed she didn't get a son, or a daughter that stayed true to her wishes. Instead of a son, or a daughter that was supposed to be a mini-Kyoko, she gave birth to a female version of Kyo, excluding the reddish brown eyes. But, maybe this is something Kyo can do for Tohru, the only thing he can do; Give their daughter the name that she wanted.

He started rocking the baby again to the point where he didn't even realize he was doing it.

"Kyo." Kazuma said. Kyo still did not look at him.

"What's her name, son?" He asked. Kazuma knew Kyo had to have been thinking about it. The distant look on his face, Kazuma always knew when he was thinking really hard about something. What Kazuma did not expect, was to see Kyo bring Kyoko closer to his face and positioned her over his shoulder. Her face was now snuggled into his neck, and her grip on his shirt tightened, since the sudden movement spooked her. She started to squirm again and her small whine was starting to increase. This time, Kyo would not let her cry anymore. At least, for now anyway.

"Shh. It's all right... Kyoko." He said. Kazuma's eyes briefly lit up.

"Kyoko?" He asked. Kyo rubbed the baby's back and nodded.

"Yes, her name is Kyoko." He said, finalizing it. Kazuma nodded.

"Kyoko Sohma, huh?" Kazuma said. Kyo just nodded. He decided to move her back to her original position. She seemed to like it better. Now that Kyoko had settled down somewhat, Kyo could actually look at her. As each second passed, Kyo kept feeling so much guilt and regret. There had to be a catch. There had to be something he could do. He didn't want to screw this child up. And, he was afraid that he would.

"_I can't let her live with me."_ He thought to himself. "_She will be so much better off without me."_

"Well, Kyo. What do you want to do now?" Kazuma finally asked. It seemed as if Kyo's thoughts were being read by Kazuma. Regardless if it was true or not, Kyo would answer anyway.

"Let her go with Tohru." Kyo said, firmly. "Tohru can take care of her much better than I can." He said. He nodded to himself. He stared at the innocence that laid in the little girl's eyes. He was willing to do anything for her to have eternal happiness, even if that meant he would be living the rest of his life alone, without Tohru or Kyoko.

Kazuma frowned.

"Kyo, you know that's not possible." Kazuma said, gently.

"Why? Why not? You know full well that Tohru can take care of her better than I can." Kyo said, persuasively.

"Kyo, as much as I wish I could take it back, none of us can. Akito and everyone agreed that this would be the best for Tohru. You saw how heart broken she was earlier." Kazuma said. Kyo slowly nodded, but he wasn't sure if he fully agreed with that. Was she upset? Sure. Scared out of her wits? Absolutely. But, heart broken? He just wasn't so sure about that. She managed to fall in love with him after all, the foolish cat. Why would her own daughter be any different? Kyo would never forget how Tohru cried so much for that little person that she was so excited to meet. The love and devotion was unfathomable.

"But, Dad. She loves her. She would do anything for her." Kyo said, desperately. Kazuma sighed.

"I understand that, Kyo. But, maybe you should think about what's best for Tohru. This wouldn't be good for her. We couldn't just burden her with the Zodiac curse." It was true. Everything Kazuma was saying was the truth. No, Kyo didn't want her to suffer or have to deal with the Zodiac curse all over again. He needed her, but so did Kyoko. Kyo just could not measure up to what Tohru was able to do.

Kyo finally caved. He told the truth.

"Dad, I can't do this. I'm not ready." He said, honestly. Kazuma sighed.

"Kyo, I'm not asking you to do this." Kazuma said. Kyo gave him a confused look.

"I'm telling you to do this." Kazuma said. "This is your daughter. You need to recognize this for what it is. She is your responsibility, Kyo. You are going to do this. And, unfortunately, you will have to do this without Tohru." He said, finalizing his short speech. His words were harsh, but Kyo couldn't act like a child anymore. And, there was no way he would let Kyo act like one in front of his granddaughter.

At that moment, Kyo looked at his daughter, whose eyes were open again revealing those crystal blues. As he stared at his daughter, he knew the truth. He didn't have his wife anymore, and Kyoko did not have her mother anymore. When Kyoko's eyes blinked, Kyo kept seeing small pieces of Tohru in Kyoko, mainly in just her eyes.

"_Tohru."_

With the mere thought of Tohru gone, completely out of his life, Kyo shut down inside.

* * *

(One Day Later)

Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani were walking down the hospital hallway with their children in tow. Keiko was walking by herself, while holding her mother's hand. Arisa's son, Kazuo could walk just fine, but he was a Mama's boy, who constantly wanted to be held.

Tohru Honda was about three steps behind them. She just felt so confused. She constantly looked around the hospital walls. All she knew was that she had a bad fall and hurt her head while helping Uo clean up her house. For some reason, it just didn't add up. She didn't even remember being at Uo's house, not to mention she didn't remember Uo or even Saki, having children. Weren't they still in high school? Apparently not. A doctor told her she was just going through temporary amnesia, but everything would return to normal in no time.

Tohru noticed Arisa's arms sagging, and she assumed maybe she could lend a hand.

"Uo, if you want, I can hold him for you." Tohru offered. Arisa turned around and smiled thankfully.

"Thanks, Tohru. But, I don't think Kazuo would comply even if I tried to hand him to you. Gosh, you should have seen him the other day. He kicked Kureno, because he only wanted me to hold him." Uo said, her eyes widening.

"_Just like his mother."_ Tohru thought to herself.

"You could just make him walk, Uo." Saki said, knowingly. Uo frowned.

"If you want this kid screaming in the hall way of a baby nursery and have everyone in the waiting room staring at us, be my guest." Uo said with a smirk. Hana just shook her head and continued to walk forward with Keiko, who remained quiet as always.

Tohru started to giggle, but she couldn't help but feel an odd sense of envy. Her best friends had the most adorable kids ever. She had yet to meet their husbands. But, why didn't she have her husband, or her own child to spoil? Tohru sighed to herself. She couldn't mistake the twinge of pain in her heart. Why did everything just feel so wrong to her. Something was missing, more like someone was missing.

As if there were a gravitational pull, Tohru turned the left, and saw the glass window that led to the baby nursery. She walked closer to the glass, and looked into the other room. She saw rows of baby bassinets.

Saki and Arisa looked at eachother with worried looks, but kept it to themselves. They walked up beside her and looked through the window. Saki picked up Keiko, and Keiko looked through the window like she did earlier that day with Kagura.

Tohru looked at a few of the bassinets, but there was one in particular that stuck out. Her vision was good enough that she saw the label on the front of the bassinet that read "Sohma." Tohru blinked in wonder.

"_Sohma. Why does that name sound so familiar?"_ Tohru thought to herself.

She continued to stare at just that baby. The baby was awake and moving her arms and legs around. Her eyes were wide open and looking around, when her eyes looked up towards Tohru. Their eyes locked, and something came over Tohru. She didn't know what the feeling was, but she liked it. She smiled and waved at the pretty little girl.

"Hi, there." Tohru whispered to her. The baby squirmed, about ready to cry. Tohru's heart broke seeing that baby near tears. One of the nurses on duty came over to the baby to check on her. She looked at Tohru and smiled politely, then picked up the baby and took her away from the window. Tohru's hand stretched towards the glass like she wanted the nurse to bring the baby back to her. But, as her hand fell back to her side, she just shrugged whatever odd feelings she had, off.

"Tohru?" Saki asked. Tohru turned around and smiled.

"That baby was so pretty." She commented. Arisa and Saki both nodded in agreement.

"Shall we get going?" Uo asked. Tohru nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, sounds great!" Tohru, Arisa, and Hana started to walk down the hallway once again, when Tohru turned around and noticed that the pretty baby was back in her bassinet. Tohru wanted to go see her again, but she thought against it. She didn't want to upset her again. She simply waved towards the glass, even though the baby probably couldn't see her.

"_Goodbye, pretty baby. Maybe we'll meet again someday."_

_

* * *

_Well, there you have it, folks. Chapter 3 is finally completed. I am so sorry that this took so long to finish. I found it to be quite difficult to write, but chapter 4 will be even harder. D: Ehh, I'll make it through. Thanks to all who read and reviewed. Your reviews keep me going. :) Also, my birthday just passed, so I am now 18. Happy Birthday to me! I hope to get some nice reviews as a late birthday present. :) Thanks you all, and I hope you enjoy.

-Stephanie


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